Greetings,

As I look back over my life I realize that I lived a life trying to fit in and please others because I was so concerned about what other people thought, and if they really liked me. This was during my grade school years up until my late 20's. What I didn't realize then that I know now is that people are always going to have an opinion about us, positive or negative there will be an opinion. We have to stay grounded and focused on the fact that we are created in the image of God and the opinion of others don't define who we are.

How many of us are living like that today? So consumed with having the approval of others, getting likes on social media, getting the most followers and our videos going viral. How many of us have changed the way we talk, look and act just to make ourselves look the part? I remember talking with a friend of mines many years ago and they actually told me that when they were on the job they would take their voice an octave higher because it made them feel more accepted in that business environment. I'm the last to judge anyone, but I do feel that we walk in true freedom when we put aside the airs, and just be ourselves with no hang-ups, or insecurities.

We all have our flaws and I also believe that we all have a level of insecurity in one area or another. It's so important to build self confidence and to overcome low self esteem. One thing we have to do is change how we feel about ourselves especially if it's negative. We should not have a low opinion of our selves, and we shouldn't take on a superior attitude as well. In order to do this we must never feel that we are not good enough. We have to first love ourselves and accept and love who we are, how we look, and remember that we are unique and made in the image of God. We have to stop comparing ourselves to others with regards to education and IQ, money, jobs or social status. The second belief we must change is the image of success that the world has painted for us. True success is discovering who you are and being authentic about your true self. Once you accomplish this there is nothing to stop you. True success is also helping others to see the greatness within themselves. I truly believe that life is good to us and a reward comes when we take our minds off of ourselves all the time and seek to help someone else. Don't misunderstand me on this. We must first have self love and make sure that we are OK. When we become consumed with only our wants and needs then I believe we are off balance in our lives.

We have to love ourselves and accept how God made us, but we also have to seek growth because we should always be changing and growing. We should never allow others to make us feel less than who we are. They can love me or hate me, but never try to change me. I believe change in something that starts within and God has His hands on that process. We should never try to change ourselves to get approval or love from anyone.

We have to stop having hang-ups about our flaws and our past. Let's be free and allow God to handle all the other stuff. Let's stop being afraid to be ourselves and loosen up so that others can see and love the real deal. This message is intended for those that struggle with insecurities and feel as though you can't be your true self. I suggest you pray about how you feel and seek God's opinion. If you have a dear friend that can share some insight then maybe talk with them, but definitely pray about who you speak with and ask God to show you who you can trust.

Start doing some special things for yourself that make you feel good. Get a massage or a facial, go out and treat yourself to a restaurant that you have never been to before. The more we love and accept ourselves, the more we can love others and be accepting of them.

I hope this blog post has been helpful. You can always leave a comment in the comments section on my website. Thanks so much for the visit and remember to keep looking up!!!